Electric Raceabout In-Car Lap of the Nürburgring [video]

Electric Raceabout have posted a video on You tube of their all wheel drive EV prototype setting a time around the Nürburgring.

Developed by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the Raceabout features a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and four electric motors which are fed by a 32 kWh lithium-titanate battery. This setup gives the car an output of 272 PS (200 kW / 268 hp) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque, which enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in six seconds and hit a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).

BMW i8 Concept: First Look

BMW's first plug-in hybrid vehicle will focus not just in saving the earth, but also on satisfying its driver's need for speed. Like the Chevrolet Volt, the BMW i8 concept combines a traditional gasoline engine with an electric drivetrain. According to BMW, the i8 can be as fuel-efficient as the best hybrid cars, while still delivering sports car-like performance.

An electric motor drives the front wheels, while a traditional gasoline engine drives the rears. The i8 can thus act as a front-, rear-, or all-wheel-drive car depending on which power sources are running. An "energy tunnel" containing the battery and drivetrain electronics runs down the middle of the vehicle, connecting the two axles.

The electric motor and engine peak at a combined 349 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. That means the 0-to-62-mph sprint requires just 4.6 seconds. Top speed is electronically restricted to 155 mph. BMW says overall economy in European testing will be 2.7 liters per 100 kilometers, or 87 mpg. In real-world driving, the company expects the i8 to return mileage of 33 to 47 mpg. As gloating company executives note, no other production car can return the same combination of performance and economy.

The front-mounted electric motor is the same unit used in the i3 electric-car concept, but it is slightly modified to offer 128 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Because the i8 also has a gasoline engine, the electric motor's battery pack is significantly smaller than that in the i3. The i8 has an all-electric driving range of about 20 miles and can be fully charged in just under two hours. The electric motor can also recharge the battery, acting as a "through the road" hybrid system that can bolster the engine's output.

At the rear axle, a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine produces 220 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. BMW would only tell us that the engine is mated to an "automatic" transmission with "enough" speeds. It may be a traditional automatic or perhaps a dual-clutch unit. However, BMW doesn't think the transmission in the i8 is very important to discuss as the electric motor provides plenty of torque regardless of the gasoline engine's operating speed or gear.

i8 Concept. The electric motor in the i8 Concept has been adopted from the BMW i3 Concept and modified for use in the i8 Concept’s plug-in hybrid power train—i.e., for operation with a smaller battery pack and in conjunction with an internal combustion engine. It drives the front axle, while a 164 kW/220 hp turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine developing up to 300 N·m (221 lb-ft) of torque drives the rear axle. Together, the two drive units take the vehicle to a governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Like the electric motor, the 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine was developed entirely in-house by the BMW Group.

A high-voltage generator attached to the internal combustion engine can generate power for recharging the batteries. This option is only used to increase the range of the vehicle while out on the road, and is not intended as a substitute for stationary recharging at an electric power socket.

Locating the electric motor at the front axle of the BMW i8 Concept optimizes braking energy recuperation, since the front axle is where greater braking forces are developed due to the dynamic wheel load shift when decelerating. Whenever there is a chance to recuperate braking energy, intelligent driving dynamics systems make the most of it, taking into account traction conditions and driving situation, without compromising stability and dynamics, BMW says. This allows very high levels of braking energy recuperation even in the wet or in snow. Depending on requirements, braking is initially provided by the recuperation function and only when more powerful braking is required is the conventional brake system engaged.

BMW i3 Concept: First Look

BMW has finally given us our first official, undisguised look at its futuristic, all-electric city car. For now the i3 is still labeled a concept, but this car is much more complete than the MegaCity concept that preceded it. The four-passenger i3 concept is perhaps the most advanced take on electric cars yet, and draws on BMW's experience with a fleet of 600 Mini E and 1000 BMW ActiveE electric cars. Unlike those cars, however, which were traditional cars converted to electric drive, the i3 was developed from the ground up to accommodate electric propulsion.

The i3 is built around a new chassis concept called LifeDrive, which divides the vehicle into sections for Life, the passenger compartment, and Drive, the powertrain and battery. For the i3, the bottom half of the car is the Drive section, and is made mostly of lightweight aluminum; the Life passenger compartment sits on top and is built from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Employing these lightweight materials keeps the i3's weight down to just 2750 pounds. The Nissan Leaf, for comparison, tips the scales at 3366 pounds.

BMW says that CFRP is as strong as but 50 percent lighter than steel. The entire Life CFRP shell weighs less than 220 pounds. Better yet, it never rusts and reportedly offers better protection than steel in a crash. CFRP only forms the Life sections' shell, however, as replaceable plastic panels form the i3's true bodywork. The Life section slots on top of the Drive chassis and is attached with strong adhesives and four bolts.

The i3's electric motor was developed by BMW because the company wanted tight control over the feel and performance of its powertrains. It is said to be 40 percent smaller than the similar motor used in the Mini E. It is rated at 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, and has a single-speed transmission. The motor is located directly above the rear axle, making the i3 a rear-wheel-drive vehicle and also keeping the front-rear weight balance even.

The motor is fed by a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack that is mounted under the floor of the passenger compartment. This means there is no intrusion or transmission tunnel in the cabin, and also helps keep the i3's center of gravity low for better handling and stability. BMW wouldn't specify the battery's storage capacity.

Though the maximum range per charge is rated at 140 miles, BMW admits real-world i3 mileage will be between 80 and 100 miles -- approximately on par with the range offered by the Nissan Leaf. Data from the Mini E trials taught BMW that a battery range of 74 to 93 miles would satisfy 90 percent of all drivers. The i3 concept can reach 62 mph in 7.9 seconds, and its top speed is limited to 93 mph because BMW says higher velocities would drain the battery too quickly.

A full charge is said to take just six hours via a standard European outlet, while an optional fast-charger yields an 80-percent charge in just one hour. Charge times on American 120-volt outlets will likely be longer.

i3 Concept. The electric motor of the BMW i3 Concept is designed primarily for operation in an urban environment. Already tested in a pre-production version in the BMW ActiveE, the version of this permanently excited hybrid synchronous motor which will be used in the BMW i3 Concept has undergone further optimization in terms of weight and driveability.

A single-speed gearbox accelerates the BMW i3 Concept to an electronically governed 150 km/h (93 mph). The BMW i3 Concept accomplishes 0-60 km/h (37 mph) in less than four seconds and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in under eight seconds. The motor is located directly above the drive axle, for optimal and typical BMW rear-wheel-drive handling characteristics.

With the dual accelerator/decelerator function of the accelerator pedal approximately 75% of all braking operations around town can be performed by energy recuperation which generates a braking effect, BMW says. Intensive use of this energy recuperation function of the electric motor can increase the driving range by up to 20 per cent. Only when the driver’s braking request exceeds a given level is the conventional brake system of the BMW i3 Concept engaged as well.

A coasting facility makes this single-pedal control of acceleration and braking using just the accelerator even more user-friendly. The BMW i3 Concept features a distinct “neutral” position of the accelerator pedal—i.e. rather than switching straight to recuperation when the driver eases off the pedal, the electric motor’s zero torque control keeps the drive train disconnected as long as the pedal is in this position. The vehicle now coasts without consuming power, driven by its own kinetic energy. Used as part of a proactive driving style, this coasting mode is a way to increase the driving range even further.

BMW developed the motor and power electronics for the i3 Concept entirely in-house. The space requirements of the electric motor used in the BMW i3 Concept have been reduced by 40% compared with the motor used in the MINI E. This compact drive unit is mounted over the rear axle, together with the power electronics, transmission and differential, causing no loss of interior space.

The BMW i3 Concept’s battery system has also undergone detailed optimization which reduces the extent to which external factors can influence the vehicle’s power and driving range. An integrated liquid cooling system keeps the battery at its optimal operating temperature at all times, helping to boost the performance and life expectancy of the cells. The climate/heating system cools the fluid circulating in the battery housing via a heat exchanger.

If necessary, in winter, this fluid can also be heated in order to bring the battery up to its optimal operating temperature of around 20 °C. The battery can be fully recharged in six hours at a standard power socket. If a high-speed charger is used, an 80% charge can be achieved in just one hour.

Optional range extender. The BMW i3 Concept offers an optional Range Extender, the REx, which allows the electric driving range to be increased. REx, a small gasoline engine, drives a generator which maintains the battery charge level and therefore extends the range of the electric motor. As soon as the battery charge reaches a critical level, REx supplies the necessary energy to get the driver the rest of the way to the destination.

The compact size of the electric motor used in the BMW i3 Concept means there is room left over to accommodate REx and its attached generator over the rear axle, alongside the drive components. The gasoline engine complies with the SULEV standard. To reduce fuel consumption to a minimum, REx also features such functions as Automatic Start-Stop and other intelligent operating strategies.

Electric Cars Rule Georgia Town [video]

The town of Peachtree Georgia has been adapted to cater for electric golf carts.

With 90 miles of purpose built pathways, almost every family in this town of 34,000 owns a golf cart for local commuting. There are approx 10,000 electric golf carts in Peachtree displacing the more typical family mode of transport in the US, the gas guzzling SUV or Minivan.

Peachtree, a suburb of Atlanta, is only a short distance from Augusta Georgia which is home to two of the largest Electric Golf Cart manufacturers in the USA, Club Car and E-Z-Go.

Renault 4Lectric concept helps power the home and local community

Electric vehicles are intended to be used as modes of transportation, but Charlie Ngehiem’s Renault 4Lectric concept aims to be something different. The Renault 4 concept created by him makes the vehicle do something more than it has been all these years. His Renault 4Lectric concept vehicle is not just a mode of transportation like its other cousins, but it can sustain a whole community by supplying power to them. The concept is one of the 50 entries shortlisted by Designboom for their Renault 4EVER competition.

The aim of the designer is to create a “circular economy” through the use of a humble vehicle. Well, it is not so humble after all. The car uses solar power to generate electricity for itself as well as for an entire community of people. The purpose is to create a self-sustaining, functional as well as an environmentally responsible model of vehicle, which will cater to every need of its owner.

The 4Lectric comes fitted with two batteries which act as the main power source of the vehicle. Solar films attached to the windows and roof of the vehicle helps the battery to generate electricity from sun’s rays. Apart from that, the car will also be fitted with numerous thermal sensors. The purpose of having two batteries is that one battery accumulates energy when the other one is engaged in powering the vehicle. Therefore, when the user goes to a charging station for charging the vehicle, he gets only the amount needed to charge the first battery as it was already accumulating energy during its rest period.

The batteries can also be charged at home. A two-way circuit allows the energy from the vehicle’s battery to be used for domestic purposes. At no time, the car is passive. Even when it is parked, the car is active because it constantly generates its own energy. The second battery functions much like the other battery does with one difference. Since it is designed for collective consumption, it helps in redirecting the accumulated energy to a storage center. This way, the car can be extremely useful in remote areas where availability of electricity is limited.